Different from what?
Different from most every other debate.
Why? Because someone from the Right is going to be asking the questions of the candidates.
That would be Hugh Hewitt, he of Salem Radio and of the Hugh Hewitt Radio Show, broadcasting from a secret studio “somewhere” in Southern California.
Hugh is an unvarnished and unabashed supporter of the Republicans, and is going to work alongside Jake Tapper on the second GOP debate tonight at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley (to now include Carly Fiorina), hosted by CNN. Tapper will moderate and Hewitt will pitch the questions.
Once this became known, many GOP brokers who formerly disdained any appearance with Hewitt somewhat soiled their shorts in order to line up a segment on his radio show. As a result Hugh has interviewed Chris Christie, Jeb Bush and any number of GOP presidential contenders. People who wouldn’t have given Mr Hewitt the time of day prior.
To include Donald Trump, who accused Hugh of throwing him “gotcha” questions. He later called Hugh a “third rate” radio announcer. The full transcript of that interview is here, should you wish to read it.
He doesn’t mind asking difficult questions of his guests. He was accused of attempting to sink Dr Ben Carson as well as Donald Trump.
The truth is, they only sank themselves by not being sufficiently prepared to appear on his show.
Further, you have to be smart enough to realize that the questions Hugh asked may be remarkably similar to the questions he’ll pose tonight. That was called “show prep.”
This Politico article makes an interesting observation
Donald Trump’s Grand Inquisitor
Hugh Hewitt drew Trump’s ire with a smart question. On Wednesday night, the conservative talk radio host will be ready for round 2.
by Todd S. Purdum
When the motor-mouthed mogul next takes the stage with the ten nearest rivals who have failed for months to trip him up—much less get traction against him—Hugh Hewitt will be the only person in the debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library who has already managed to get the best of Donald Trump.
That distinction—earned ten days ago when Hewitt stumped Trump in an interview on his weekday radio show about the names of major world terrorist leaders, and the differences between Hamas and Hezbollah—means that Hewitt, who will serve as one of three debate questioners, may end up emerging as one of the central characters in the ongoing reality TV show that is this year’s GOP presidential primary. After all, it was Trump’s tangles in the last debate with Fox News’s Megyn Kelly that led days of news stories after the last debate—and Kelly and Trump only sparred once. What could a second round with Hewitt mean?
How did Hugh Hewitt find himself sitting in a chair asking questions at this debate?
“I lobbied incessantly,” with GOP chairman Reince Priebus, Hewitt explains during a break in taping his daily three-hour “Hugh Hewitt Show,” which has aired for 15 years on the conservative Salem Radio Network, co-sponsor with CNN of the debate. “For the general principle that conservative journalists be included as a counterbalance to mainstream media’s left tilt.”
So will this be a repeat of the Trump-Hewitt clash earlier this month? Or will it be Trump vs Everyone Else On Stage?
No matter what, the questions posed will have punch, relevancy and intelligence.
BZ
Just when you thought VP Joe Biden, he of the wacky quip and innocence, was just another daft hairplugged wonk — think again.
